Al Watan TV ‘Much Loved’ FBI extends FIFA closed; license movie stirs scrutiny to World revoked2 rumpus21 Cup47 hosts Min 30º Max 49º FREE www.kuwaittimes.net NO: 16542- Friday, June 5, 2015 Page 2 Local FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015 Al-Watan TV closed Electricians, plumbers must KUWAIT: The Commerce and Information Ministries revoked the license of Al-Watan TV Channel yesterday. An Interior Ministry task force led by Assistant Undersecretary for General hold diplomas, says Fadhl Security Maj General Abdelfattah Al-Ali shuttered the televi- sion station, implementing the decision. According to early reports, the license revocation was due to the television sta- Al-Ghanem to coordinate with govt over security debate tion’s parent company falling below the required capital. As of By B Izzak can exempt those who have five years of will fix the date of the debate after the 6:30pm yesterday, the channel has ceased to broadcast. experience from the training course but coordination. The Speaker also said that The Commerce Ministry issued an administrative decision KUWAIT: MP Nabeel Al-Fadhl yesterday they should pass written and practical the Assembly will hold additional sessions last January to revoke the license of Al-Watan newspaper submitted a proposal requiring that for- exams. on June 14 and 15 ahead of the regular along with its press and publication house, after accumulated eign electricians and plumbers should The proposal is not binding and sessions on June 16 and 17 in order to dis- losses exceeded 75 percent of its capital. have at least diplomas in their profession requires the National Assembly labor com- cuss and approve all the items on the The appeals court also ruled for the closure of Al-Watan to be able to get employment in the coun- mittee and the National Assembly itself to agenda. The Assembly is scheduled to go newspaper, and commerce minister issued an administrative try. Fadhl proposed an amendment to the approve it. National Assembly speaker into summer recess at the end of June for decision to revoke Al-Watan publishing license. The owners labor law in the private sector to include a Marzouk Al-Ghanem in the meantime said four months. challenged the ruling but lost on appeal. precondition that electricians and that he will coordinate with the interior MP Abdulhameed Dashti meanwhile But the newspaper said on its website, which remained plumbers must have diplomas well attest- minister about the debate on the security called on the new Commerce and running, that the swift implementation of the decision raised ed from their own countries and in Kuwait. situation which will be held in the Industry Minister Yousef Al-Ali to dismiss suspicion about some hidden motives for the closure. A large Labor authorities can however exempt Assembly Bureau. the ministry undersecretary “who has number of former MPs and activists hosted by Al-Watan satel- them from the diploma requirement if About 12 MPs had submitted a request been brought into the post from outside lite station blasted the government’s measure as political in they have an experience in the same field to hold a special debate on the security the ministry and is serving certain inter- nature. of at least five years and should undergo a measures in the country following the two ests”. The lawmaker also called on the Al-Watan is the second newspaper that had its license training course for six years. suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia. The minister to order an investigation in the revoked, after Alam Al-Youm, and is considered among the Those who have an experience of Assembly however agreed to a proposal “suspicious” relation between the min- early Kuwait papers, owned by Sheikh Ali Al-Khalifa Al-Athbi under five years should undergo a training to hold the debate in the assembly bureau istry’s supplies department and the sup- Al-Sabah. It was issued for the first time June 5th 1962 as a course for one year. The labor authorities instead in the Assembly. Ghanem said he plies company. weekly paper, before becoming daily on January 17th 1974. Local Spotlight Kicked out of a plane! Going down the drain ‘The life and work of a plumber in Kuwait’ By Muna Al-Fuzai By Nawara Fattahova Kuwaiti lawmaker has called for new legislation that [email protected] would require formal training for some blue collar profes- Asions including electricians and plumbers. MP Nabeel Al- t’s summer and time for vacations! For most families with kids, Fadhl yesterday submitted a proposal that would require this is the right time to go on a holiday. We all agree and plumbers and other technical professions to hold at least a diplo- understand this, but most travelers hate to be seated next to a ma and have them attested before working in Kuwait. Currently I there are no certifications or licensing for plumbers and electri- crying baby, especially if it is not their own and the child’s parents fail to silence it. It’s a plane, so you can’t just jump out or change cians in Kuwait. Nor, for that matter, are there much in the way of seats easily, especially during the summer when most planes are safety precautions or regulations protecting workers. packed. Though still a proposal at this point, it raises the question Now, if you were on a short trip in the region, you may care about the qualifications and standards of many of Kuwait’s serv- less because it is just a matter of an hour or so. But if you are on a ice sector labor class. In many countries, plumbers, electricians long-distance flight, then it is a disturbing matter, because the and other contractors must be licensed and must have formal wails of a crying baby can be a nightmare. But if the captain training typically through a technical college or institute. Abdulnaser (first right) and Ramadan posing with two other decides to throw out the baby and its parents, would you agree Kuwait Times spoke with a group of plumbers who work in colleagues at their office in Salwa. — Photo by Joseph Shaqra with such an act? Do you think the crew made the right judg- the Salwa co-op office (for contracted labor) and none of the more years old and belong to customers that didn’t pay the ment? Here is what happened. plumbers held diplomas or had any formal training. The electri- repairmen. “A few times we face problems with customers who A Canadian singer was ejected from a plane by the crew cians there, however, were certified but there is no current don’t pay, so we issue a bill for them and post it on this board because of her baby’s constant bawling. She was travelling from licensing system in Kuwait for either profession. after informing the supervisor and the management of the co- San Francisco to Vancouver, when the crew of SkyWest Airlines No formal training, however, doesn’t necessarily translate op. This is a kind of blacklist, so we don’t do any new work for forced her to leave the plane because of her two-year-old son’s into incompetence. Ramadan, a 51-year-old Egyptian plumber, these customers unless they pay the old bill first. In general, the severe crying, causing inconvenience to the passengers and crew. has been in this profession for more than 15 years. Although he charges are not high, as expensive things like boilers the cus- If you were in this woman’s place, what would you do? faces unpleasant situations sometimes, he is satisfied with his tomers buy themselves,” said Ramadan. “Most of the time, I take The mother, who was also pregnant with her second child, job. “I have got used to my work as a plumber and my colleagues the items or spare parts with me, but have to come back if I find uploaded a video clip showing her with an airport staff explaining are good, so they make the work environment comfortable. I live that more parts are needed to fix the problem. Sometimes the what happened, expressing her shock over being forced out of in Jleeb and commute every day to my workplace in Salwa by customer brings the items himself, and we only fix them,” he the plane in this manner with no sympathy by the crew for the bus, which takes an hour to reach,” he told Kuwait Times. added. small child, and being forced to wait for another hour to get her His work depends on customer calls or reservations. He works luggage. She received much sympathy on social media, and at the plumbing and electricity services office of Salwa Co-op. Hazardous Work many users conveyed their opposition over the decision of the “Our office is open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm every day except Ramadan’s colleague Abdulnasser was seriously injured while airline. Friday, which is our day off. There are 26 employees here for working. “Once I fell from a ladder when fixing a water tanker on I felt sorry for the mother, and I agree it’s hard to travel with a both services. We work in 8-hour shifts. I usually come in the the roof of a house and broke my leg. Another time, I cut part of small baby, especially when alone and being pregnant too. But it morning and attend calls, which are only in Salwa area. We have my hand from a broken glass bottle thrown in the sewer after a is also not the responsibility of the crew to babysit a child or keep a vehicle with a driver that takes us to customers.